I got a 4070 for my birthday, but I'm still using an i7-4770 in my Dell Optiplex 9020, and it's heavily bottlenecking my performance. I want to upgrade my CPU and motherboard to something that won't limit my gaming experience too much, but I also need to keep the costs down since I'm saving up from my summer job. Any suggestions?
5 Answers
You could look into getting an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and a compatible AM5 motherboard. The total for that setup would be about $328, which includes some decent RAM too! Check out the full build on PCPartPicker for the specifics if you're interested.
That i7-4770 is definitely outdated at this point. Time for an upgrade to let your 4070 really shine! You got this!
Honestly, I’m surprised your Optiplex can handle a 4070. You might grab a Ryzen 5 7500F for around $150 from eBay or AliExpress, plus an AM5 motherboard and DDR5 RAM for another $150. It sounds like a solid budget option.
I think an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X with the right motherboard would be great for you. Just ensure you have enough storage too! Check out this setup I found that comes in under £500 if you're in the UK. It's gonna provide a big performance boost!
You can't really swap motherboards in a Dell unless you get a Dell-specific one. So, for an upgrade, you’re looking at a complete new build. Your best bet is probably an AMD setup for future-proofing. If you're working with a tighter budget, consider an Intel setup, but keep in mind it won’t be as future-proof. I've shared some builds that might help!
I agree, starting fresh is a good idea. A solid entry gaming build will cost you around $400-$500, depending on whether you can reuse parts like your hard drive and RAM.
But seriously, the power supply in those Optiplex models usually can’t handle that kind of GPU. It might be better to consider a complete build upgrade!